"If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us" - Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont gets brutally honest on Luka Doncic's shocking trade 

Dallas Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont on Sunday spoke for the first time since Luka Doncic's shock trade to the LA Lakers. Dumont explained the reasons behind the ownership's decision to let General Manager Nico Harrison proceed with the move that saw the Mavericks land Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick in exchange.

The trade sent shockwaves through the NBA and left many Mavericks fans fuming. On Saturday, the team's first home game since trading Doncic, the ownership and front office faced the fans' wrath as massive protests were held outside the American Airlines Center.

A week after the trade, Dumont, the son-in-law of the Mavericks' majority owner, Miriam Adelson, discussed the trade in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. Before getting to the crux, Dumont said it was a tough decision and thanked Doncic for his contribution to the franchise. The Mavericks governor added he sympathizes with the fans amid their rage over this deal.

Patrick Dumont then revealed the reasons for this bold decision, citing factors like "culture, character and focus." He also mentioned the work ethic of greats like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

"If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win," the Mavericks governor said.

"And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.

"That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us."

Several reports out of Dallas suggested that the Mavericks weren't happy with Luka Doncic's conditioning and had concerns about his durability. They believed he wasn't the right fit to lead the team long-term with his $345 million supermax extension looming.

Mavericks governor quashes narrative that Luka Doncic's $345M extension was reason behind trade

The Luka Doncic trade was a well-guarded secret, with only team ownership and GMs aware of the news until it was announced on Feb. 1.

At the time, it led to plenty of speculation, with fans and analysts questioning why the Mavericks green-lit such a move. One of the theories was based on Doncic's looming $345 million supermax extension.

Many thought the Mavericks made a cost-cutting decision because of the new CBA, which handicaps teams from making moves and increases taxes as the salary bill grows. However, Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont rebuffed those claims.

"This is not a resource consideration," Dumont said. "For people who understand the NBA, and I know you do, the salary cap is basically the cap. So this is just a risk-allocation decision, right? No problem signing someone to the supermax."

Dumond and the Adelson family firmly believe their decision will improve the Mavericks roster. They said the decision was made from the perspective of winning championships, and they think the current iteration of the roster with Anthony Davis instead of Luka Doncic is the way to move forward.